Ventura County Republican Project: History and Genealogy

Ventura County Republican Project: History and Genealogy

"A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura, California" (1891), page 620.

Wallace L. Hardison

Wallace L. Hardison, of Santa Paula, is one of the most prominent business men of Ventura County or Southern California. Joseph Hardison, the originator of the family in America, came to that part of Massachusetts now embraced in the State of Maine before the Revolution, and it is believed from Sweden. His son, Joseph Hardison, and his grandson, Ivory Hardison, and his great grandson, Wallace L. Hardison (the subject of this sketch), were all born in Caribou, Aroostock County, Maine. Mr. Hardison's father was born in 1802, and he dates his own birth in August 26, 1850. His mother, Dorcas (Abbott) Hardison, was born in China, Kennebec County, Maine, in 1804, and was a descendant of the old Abbott family, statesmen and authors of the early history of the country. There were eleven children in his family, of whom he was the youngest. His education was received in the public schools and a short course in the Holton Academy; before reaching maturity his business had been that of farming. In 1869, when nineteen years of age he came to Humboldt County, California, where for a short time he worked for wages; soon, however, he began to work for himself, as a contractor, in a small way. In the fall of 1870 he went East to Pennsylvania, and engaged in work for his brother, who was controlling the drilling of oil wells. In the course of a year he was taken into partnership, and in another year he began to operate for oil on his own account. While in Pennsylvania he was connected with the drilling of 300 oil wells. The first well he owned was the Eaton and Grant, the time occupied on it before it began to produce oil was about three months, and its production was 100 barrels per day. While engaged in the oil business in Pennsylvania, he purchased the Eaton farm in Saline and Ellsworth counties, Kansas, and afterward purchased other lands adjoining, to the amount of 10,000 acres, which he stock with horses, cattle and hogs, introducing some fine blooded horses to improve the stock. After running this property eight years, a stock company was formed, and half of the stock was sold to F. G. Babcock, of New York, and the other half was sold the following April. July 1, 1888, Mr. Hardison took stock and started the National Bank of Saline, Kansas, and for four years owned the controlling interest and was its president until March, 1885, when he sold his interest; but he is still a stockholder. In 1882, with other gentlemen, he organized the Eldred Bank of McLean County, Pennsylvania, and was its president until 1884, and still retains stock. Through the influence of Mr. Lyman Stewart Mr. Hardison, in April, 1883, visited the oil regions of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, and was so impressed with the country - the prospect for oil, the fertility of the soil and the excellent climate - that he decided to move here, which he did in July 17, 1883. In connection with Lyman Stewart, Milton Stewart and others, they drilled seven wells, six at Pico Canon and one at Santa Paula Canon. Only one of these wells was a producing well, which yielded a large amount, and is still producing splendidly. They have organized the Hardison-Stewart Company, and have drilled forty wells. They also organized the Sespe Oil Company, composed of Thomas R. Bard, Daniel McFarland and others, and have drilled twenty-seven wells. In connection with Thomas Bond, W. Chaffee, Messrs. Stewart, Dolbeer and others they have built pipe lines from the wells to Hueneme, Ventura, and Santa Paula, and a refinery at Santa Paula. This crude oil is shipped all over the country, and the refined oil finds the principal market at San Francisco and Los Angeles. They also manufacture lubricating oils, gas oils and asphaltum. Their grade petroleum is largely used for fuel, for the generation of steam. They built a steamboat, at a cost of about $65,000 to carry oil in bulk to San Francisco; her capacity was 160,000 gallons. It caught fire and burned at the dock, and has not yet been replaced.

Mr. Hardison has assisted in the organization of the First National Bank of Santa Paula, and is one of the directors and a stock-holder. He has been a factor in the organization of the Universalist Church of Santa Paula, and also in the starting of the Santa Paula Academy. He is president of the Horse and Cattle Company. In 1883 he bought 6,400 acres of the ex-Mission Rancho, and a company was formed to which he sold the ranch. Before organizing the company he had sold interests in the ranch to his brother, Harvey, and to his nephew, C. P. Collins, and also to John R. D. Say, At the time of organization the company had about 500 head of cattle. Mr. Hardison still retains stock in this enterprise. In 1885 he imported twenty thoroughbred registered Holstein cows and a bull from Holland, through a cattle firm of Hornellsville, New York, They are doing finely. Mr. Hardison is present of and a stockholder in the Santa Paula Hardware and Stove Company, who have just completed a very large and expensive store building, an ornament to the place and a credit to their reputation. It is fully stocked to demand all the modern requirements in the line of hardware. The building is 62 x 80 feet, with a rear addition 40 x 60 feet, for stoves, making the total depth 140 feet. Mr. Hardison is also a director of the Los Posos Land & Water Company, conducting an extensive enterprise. His home place, of eighty acres, is situated in a beautiful locality in the Santa Paula Canon, a mile and a quater from town, where they enjoy a beautiful view of the surrounding country. Mr. Hardison has here built an elegant house, on a beautiful site, surrounded with grounds, to his taste, where he enjoys the comforts of home life. When in Pennsylvania, he represented his district in the Legislature during the exciting sessions of 1880-'81. In his political views he is a Republican; in his religious, a Universalist, and he is a total-abstinence man with reference to strong drink and tobacco. He has a fine physical development and is a splendid representation of the self-made American business man.

In 1875, Mr. Hardison was united in matrimony with Miss Clara McConnell, of Venango County, Pennsylvania. Her father, William Benjamin Harrison McDonald, now resides in Santa Paula. Mr. and Mrs. Hardison have five children, three of whom are living, namely: Guy Lyman, born in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, April 3, 1876; Gussie, born in McKean County, Pennsylvania, May 30, 1880, and Hope, born in Santa Paula, April 2, 1889.

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Ventura County Republican Project: History and Rootsweb Genealogy posted by Jon Miller and Tony Larson.